Houston Thomas Mine

The Houston Thomas Mine is a zinc, lead, and silver mine located in Grant county, New Mexico at an elevation of 7,251 feet.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: Houston Thomas Mine
Secondary: Alpha Group of Claims Patented In 1908
Secondary: Alpha
Secondary: Omega
Secondary: Lafayette
Secondary: Manilla
Secondary: Florida
Secondary: Atlas
Secondary: Caribou

Commodity

Primary: Zinc
Primary: Lead
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Tertiary: Bismuth

Location

State: New Mexico
County: Grant
District: Pinos Altos District

Land Status

Land ownership: Private
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Houston-Thomas Mines Co.
Years: 1950 -

Owner Name: D. D. Osmer
Home Office: Silver City, N.M.
Years: 1961 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Replacement
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1895
Year Last Production: 1961
Discovery Year: 1867
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Mexican Highland

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Marmatite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Smithsonite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Galena
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Siderite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Clay

Comments

Comment (Location): ACCURATE LOCATION IS FOR THE PORTAL OF THE MAIN ADIT LOCATED ON THE OMEGA CLAIM.

Comment (Workings): WORKINGS REPORTED IN THE 1940'S CONSISTED OF TWO ADITS CONTAINING ABOUT 400 FT. OF UNDERGROUND WORKINGS, AN INCLINED SHAFT WITH 50 FT. OF DRIFTS, TWO SHALLOW WINZES, NUMEROUS SMALL PITS AND SEVERAL OPEN STOPES.

Comment (Production): ABOUT 6,500 METRIC TONS OF OXIDE ORE MINED UP TO 1943. FROM 1943 TO 1947, 3,400 METRIC TONS OF SULFIDE ORE CONTAINING 6-10% ZN, 1-3% PB, 0.1-0.5% CU, AND 103-206 G/T AG.

Comment (Development): OXIDE ORE MINED UP TO 1943. FROM 1943 TO 1947 SULFIDE ORE MINED.

Comment (Deposit): ORE BODIES ARE PARALLEL TO THE BEDDING OF THE MAGDALENA GROUP LIMESTONES. SITE CONSISTS OF SEVEN PATENTED CLAIMS MINERAL SURVEY NUMBER 1211 COVERING 130.112 ACRES.

References

Reference (Deposit): HERNON, R. E., 1949 . GEOL. AND ORE DEP., SILVER CITY REGION, NM GUIDEBOOK, FIELD TRIP NO. 3 , WEST TEXAS GEOL. SOCIETY.

Reference (Deposit): LINDGREN, W., GRATON, L.C., AND GORDON, C.H., 1910 USGS PP 68, P. 301

Reference (Deposit): PAIGE, S., 1911 USGS BULL 470, P. 122-125

Reference (Deposit): PAIGE, S., 1916 USGS GEOLOGIC ATLAS OF U.S., FOLIO 199

Reference (Deposit): ANDERSON, E.C., 1957 NMBMMR BULL 39, P. 70-71

Reference (Deposit): SOULE, J.H., 1948 USBM RI-4237, 5 PAGES

Reference (Deposit): MCKNIGHT, J. F., AND FELLOWS, M. L., 1978, ARIZONA GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY DIGEST, V. 11, P. 1-8.

Reference (Deposit): DMEA 1549

Reference (Production): SOULE, J. H., 1948B, U.S. BUREAU OF MINES REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS 4237, P. 5.

Reference (Deposit): CUNNINGHAM, J.E., 1974 NMBMMR GEOLOGIC MAP, GM-30

Reference (Deposit): NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA

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